MEMO TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
SUBJECT:
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Approval of a Contract for the Mental Health Field Response Teams Program Grant Awarded by Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC), for the Grant Period of July 2020 to June 2021
I. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement between the City of Redmond and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) for the renewal of the Mental Health Field Response Teams (MHFRT) Program Grant. On March 3, 2020, Council approved the contract for the grant period July 2019 to June 2020. Council is now being asked to approve the contract for the grant period July 2020 to June 2021.
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II. DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Darrell Lowe, Chief of Police 425-556-2529
Ron Harding, Administrative Captain 425-556-2589
III. DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND
In 2018 the Redmond Police Department (RPD) was one of seven law enforcement agencies in the State of Washington to be awarded the Mental Health Field Response Team grant from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). This award allowed RPD to contract with IKRON of greater Seattle to hire a licensed Mental Health Professional (MHP) to co-respond with police officers in the field to provide services to those suffering from mental health and behavioral issues. This co-responder model serves to augment the work of the City’s Homeless Outreach Administrator, the Community Resource Center and Community Court. All together, these programs form a comprehensive, innovative, co-response service-based approach to address community mental health needs.
The grant was renewed in July of 2019, and again in July of 2020 in the amount of $46,513.00 for each year. Due to the success of this program, Chief Lowe began the process of reallocating funds and reclassifying a Commissioned Police Officer position, (Computer Forensic Investigator) to create a full-time position for the embedded mental Health Professional. That position (Community Support Administrator) has been established and will be filled in early August of 2020.
This will allow the Police Department to use the third round of grant funding to expand the embedded co-response MHP program and add an additional, part time mental health professional to supplement the full-time position. Doing this will expand the programs ability to cover more shifts and serve more community members.
IV. PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS HELD
Internal Committee on July 6, 2020
Committee of the Whole on July 21, 2020
V. IMPACT
A. Service/Delivery:
This program aims to divert individuals at the earliest opportunity into community-based service alternatives, for crisis intervention, screening, assessment, and referral treatment before an arrest is made, while simultaneously maintaining public safety.
B. Fiscal Note:
This grant was awarded by Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) and Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC) for one (1) year, July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 in the amount of $46,513.00. The original contract was reviewed by City Attorney Jim Haney on June 30, 2020. This is a renewal of the original contract with a new amount granted.
VI. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The alternative to accepting this grant is to reduce the Mental Health services given to our citizens in need.
VII. TIME CONSTRAINTS
None
VIII. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
A. WASPC Contract Specific Terms and Conditions for the Mental Health Field Response Teams Program
B. Project Description